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About Inverness.

Inverness, Illinois, is a stunningly beautiful little village just 29 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. A village that has strived since its very beginnings to be one that melds in with the beauty of its natural surroundings, Inverness features a gently rolling landscape amongst wooded lands. Inverness homes are set atop the rises in the land and often on an acre or more of space, allowing for the open green and forests to stretch out impressively and uninterrupted. Curbs and fences aren't allowed so as to keep with the seamlessness of the scenery. It all seems so effortless, but it's these little touches that make a huge difference. Inverness is also a village that has very little commerce. Its one commercial district is small, set in amongst scenic ponds and bridges, with buildings that conform to the village's mostly New England-style architecture. All this creates a uniquely distinct place to live in the Chicagoland area. Inverness is a true oasis, home to an affluent community, pristine landscapes, a wide variety of Inverness homes for sale, and a quiet, charmed life.

Location

The little village of Inverness, Illinois, is located 29 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop in the most northwestern part of Cook County. It is known for its rolling hills and wooded areas. The land was thought to resemble the Scottish Highlands capital of Inverness so much that they decided to call it by the same name.

Inverness is surrounded by golf courses, country clubs and forest preserves. The Deer Grove Forest Preserve and Baker Lake Nature Preserve are to the north and the Paul Douglas Forest Preserve is to the south.

The borders of the village consist of Barrington Road to the west, Roselle Road to the east, Dundee Road to the north, and Algonquin Road to the south. All these roads are named after other towns in the greater Chicago Metropolitan area.

Neighboring towns of Inverness include Barrington to the northwest, Deer Park to the north, Palatine to the east, Hoffman Estates to the south, and Carpentersville to the west.

Information

Inverness was named Inverness by Arthur T McIntosh, an early developer, after the capital of the Scottish Highlands.

Williamsburg Village is the only business district in Inverness. This business park, consisting mostly of professional services, was designed to fit into the Village's aesthetics and does not resemble a typical commercial development.

History

George Ela was the first settler of the Inverness area, having arrived in 1836. The site became known as Deer Grove at that time.

In 1840 the US Government sold land in this area for $1.25 an acre. By 1854, railroads were connecting to the community of Deer Grove and by 1859 the Chicago & Northwestern Railway system took over the service. This made for easy access to and from Chicago.

The area didn’t take on much development until Arthur T McIntosh bought the Temple farm and home. McIntosh, one of Chicago’s leading land developers, had been looking for a summer retreat for his family when he decided the farmland in this area was perfect for development.

McIntosh, believing this area of northwestern Illinois resembled closely the Scottish town of Inverness, decided to name the community after it.

McIntosh continued acquiring property, taking on 10 more farms, and by 1939 he owned several dairy farms, grain farms, a hog farm, and the Cudahy Golf Course.

Setting strict standards for construction and wanting to create a New England-style township, McIntosh and his associate Way Thompson designed roads that wove around the hills instead of over or through them. Few roads lead directly into the village, creating seclusion while preserving the natural beauty of Inverness.

McIntosh also planted thousands of trees, including Norway pines, throughout the village.

New Inverness homes were being sold in 1939, bringing new residents to the village. Inverness homes for sale at that time were priced between $9,500 and $20,000.

These new Inverness homes were constructed to work with the topography of Inverness in much the same manner the roads were. They were built upon the rises of the land, complimenting the natural beauty of the village.

Inverness was incorporated in 1962. As means to ward off any encroaching development, the village annexed unincorporated bordering areas of Cook County.

Between 1970 and 2000, the population grew from 1,674 to 6,749.

Real Estate

Inverness real estate offers a lot of luxury, amenities, and choices. With a long history of sophisticated and charming architecture that is built with strict conditions to compliment and preserve the natural beauty of the Village, Inverness home owners are some of the luckiest in all of Illinois.

In the 1920s and 1930s, when many first Inverness townhomes and houses first went up, the measures taken to ensure that preservation included a “no fence” policy, as well as a ban on curbs and streetlights, so that lots could flow from one to the other and the Inverness landscape could remain open and undisturbed.

Many of the first Inverness homes built included one-story houses mostly done in the Cape Cod, Williamsburg, English Cotswold, and French Provincial styles. Most of the lots these Inverness townhomes and houses were built on were at least one acre in size.

Today these homes still enrich the landscape of the Village, as well as more modern and contemporary styles of Inverness condos, townhouses and homes.

Inverness homes range in prices between $300,000 and $500,000 for a 1 to 2-bedroom single-family home. Inverness homes for sale with 3 to 5 bedrooms can cost as low as $300,000 and as high as $4 million.

Inverness condos and townhomes are priced between $250,000 and $500,000 for a 1 to 2-bedroom. A 3 to 4-bedroom Inverness condo can range in costs between $300,000 and $650,000.

Inverness rentals can range in monthly rents of $1,500 for a 2-bedroom, to more than $3,000 for a 3 or 4-bedroom Inverness home.

Just south of Inverness is Interstate 90 also offering direct access to downtown Chicago and the greater Chicago metropolitan area.

Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is about 18 miles south of Inverness and Midway International Airport is about 37 miles southeast.

When public transportation is more desirable, residents of Inverness homes can catch the Metra in the nearby towns of Barrington, Palatine, and Arlington Heights.

The Metra Union Pacific/Northwest Line originates in Harvard and ends at the Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago. Some stops along this line include Crystal Lake, Des Plaines, Irving Park and Jefferson Park.

Schools

Inverness is home to only one school, The Holy Family Catholic Academy, but it is served by three other school districts, allowing residents of Inverness plenty of high quality education options to choose from.

Nightlife

Inverness was designed to meld beautiful into its rolling surrounding and wooded territory, and so it is known as an oasis, a place to get away from it all amongst so much natural space and beauty. So when residents of Inverness homes want to spend an evening out, they make a trip to Chicago or the neighboring towns of Palatine, Barrington, Arlington Heights, and others.

Durty Nellie’s (180 N Smith Rd, Palatine, IL, 847-358-9150) is a neighborhood pub, restaurant and music venue all wrapped into one great place to spend an evening. The menu is extensive and features everything from a variety of different burgers and sandwiches to Irish and Cajun cuisines, as well as traditional pub fare. The beer list actually trumps their large food menu with a ton of choices on draft or in the bottle. And the live music on the weekends features many local acts and cover bands. Year-round Baggo leagues and Trivia every Tuesday night round out a plethora of reasons to pay Durty Nellie’s a visit.

Wool Street Grill & Sports Bar (128 Wool St, Barrington, IL, 847-304-0313) is another lively nightspot in the area. A comfortable sports bar with a family-friendly atmosphere, Wool Street Grill is located in a Chicago flat-roof building that was built in the 1860s. Its two stories provide ample space, the second story allowing enough distance from the live music on the weekends to facilitate conversation. There’s also a little arcade and plenty of flat screen TVs showing all the best sporting events.

Red Moon Martini Lounge (70 S Arlington Heights Rd, Arlington Heights, IL, 847-670-4870) has all the trappings of an urban lounge. Tucked away, off the street, Red Moon Martini Lounge offers residents of Inverness condos a chance to sample a wide variety of martinis in a chic atmosphere and to kick back in sophistication and style. They also have a small food menu and DJs spinning records in the evenings.

Entertainment

Entertainment is easily found outside the Village of Inverness. Whether it's a trip to Chicago for theatre, or a jaunt to nearby South Barrington for an unbeatable movie viewing experience, residents of Inverness properties will find plenty of options all within reach.

Whether you’re a Medieval history buff, a kid-at-heart, have a family, or just want to get together with your friends for some unique entertainment, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament (2001 N Roselle Road, Schaumburg, IL, 888-935-6878) offers plenty of laughs and action all served up with your dinner. Medieval Times is theatre and adventure, 11th century style. The characters and story-lines of the show change every couple years to ensure a fresh experience each visit. The dinner consists of garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, an herb basted potato, a pastry, and a hearty chunk of oven-roasted chicken complimented by a huge spare rib.

Gold Class Cinema (Rte 59 and Higgins Rd, 224-293-1001 South Barrington, IL) is a movie theatre experience unlike any other. Movie watchers can reserve their seats online when purchasing tickets, allowing them to relax in the lounge before movie time. In the lounge a menu offering regional cuisine is available, as is a fully-stocked bar. In the theatre, guests are treated to large, plush reclining chairs, with a small table in between each, and a call button to make food and drink orders before and throughout the movie. You can also use the button to request pillows and blankets, making the whole experience like a private screening.

For more completely unique entertainment in the Inverness area, owners of Inverness properties take in a show at Opera in Focus (3000 Central Rd, Rolling Meadows, IL, 847-818-3220). This opera is an opera unlike any other, with each performance running about an hour and being performed by puppets on a five-foot stage. A wonderful and one-of-a-kind event, Paul Gerra (master puppeteer and producer) aims to put on a performance that will delight a wide range of audiences—from the opera lover to the plain curious, to children and families and those that simply love the fine art of puppetry.

Restaurants

A wide variety of dining experiences can be found in all directions outside Inverness, Illinois. Whether it's Mandarin, French, Italian or Mexican cuisine or just a top-notch steak you're craving, that and more can all be found within a short distance of Inverness properties.

Yu’s Mandarin (200 E Golf Rd, Schaumburg, IL, 847-882-5340) is the first restaurant in the Inverness area to serve Mandarin and Szechwan cuisine and it quickly became a favorite of the locals. Serving up only fresh and flavorful dishes, the menu at Yu’s Mandarin consists of delectable dishes cooked in light oil, keeping their dishes vibrant and unburdened, as well as low in calories. Yu’s offers a complete dining experience with a comfortable dining area and a view into the kitchen where Yu's masterful chefs work their magic.

Decades of grilling experience is what the Weber Grill Restaurant (1010 Meacham Rd, Schaumberg, IL, 847-413-0800) is all about. Thick, juicy Black Angus burgers and slow-smoked regional barbecue are the specialties at Weber Grill. You’ll even find grill-fired pizzas on their menu. The grilled veggies are also a nice treat, and the Smokey Joe's Bar tucked away in the restaurant offers a great place to relax with a cocktail before sitting down to your meal. Enjoy a comfortable, friendly environment enveloped in mouth-water aromas at Weber Grill Restaurant.

For a casual upscale dining experience at a reasonable price, owners of Inverness properties frequent Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant (100 W Higgins Rd, South Barrington, IL, 847-836-9463) in nearby South Barrington. Their own handcrafted wines threaten to steal the show at Cooper's Hawk, but they've deftly crafted their menu to compliment those wines for a complete dining experience of the senses. On the menu you'll find fresh seafood, tender steaks, seasoned chicken, homemade pastas and more.

Festivals/Parks

With so much open land, raw nature and beautiful scenery in Inverness, Illinois, you'd almost wonder why the village would even require a park district. But recognizing parks are integral to communities, Inverness has made three perfectly manicured parks totaling 42 acres for residents of Inverness townhouses to enjoy.

Maggie Rogers Memorial Park features newly designed tennis and basketball courts, a raised wooden walking path that leads to dirt paths through the trees, a charming little playground, a sand volleyball court and a soccer pitch. The basketball and tennis courts are a nice dark green so as to blend in seamlessly with the serenity of their natural surroundings. Maggie Rogers Memorial Park is located approximately one mile north on Palatine Road on the west side of Ela Road.

North Park is another quaint little park surrounded by trees. Located at 300 Highland Road, North Park is also the site of the administrative offices of the Inverness Park District. At the park you'll find a lovely little playground, two tennis courts, a baseball diamond and a soccer pitch to use for recreational purposes.

Inverness's third park is North Park, located at the corner of Thompson Way and Thompson Circle. North Park features plenty of green grass for lounging, picnicking or throwing the Frisbee around. It also has a soccer pitch, a playground and a softball field.